Mark of the Dragon
by Acolyte48
Summary: A set of sacred artifacts have been stolen from the vault of the Dragon's Den. Clair can trust no one in the clan and must trust a young trainer from Blackthorn City to track down the thief and whomever they are working for. Temari has been chosen, a journey that will make her a legend.


**Dragon Temple: North of Blackthorn City**

A tall blue haired woman fumed at the scene before her. Sacred scales of the dragons had been taken from the ancient alter. None of the fangs, treasures or even the young dragons themselves had been touched, a clear sign of purpose for the theft. She quickly understood what had happared, today in Blackthorn the unthinkable had been committed. Looking over the whirling tides of the Dragons Den, the woman was left with little to do but ponder the grave scenario before her.

The Dragon's Den had been sacred for centuries, its contents the amalgamation of a thousand Dragon Pokemon Masters. It should have been impossible to steal such a treasure from here, let alone do so undetected. As the current Leader of the Blackthorn Gym, this was a disgrace to her personally and a sobering thought of her current position within the Blackthorn Dragon Clan. She was forced with a terrible realization, a member of the Blackthorn Dragon Clan had betrayed their sworn oath and they clearly had compatriots within the clan and likely the city at large. She could trust no one but Lance and his presence would merely send the fiends into hiding, she knew there was only one option.

The Mistress of Dragon Pokemon Clair had to put all her bets on the only other group she could trust completely, the next generation. The future of the clan and likely the entire city depended on it.

...

Temari knew her lot in life would be difficult, the Blackthorn Clan expected nothing but absolute effort in its charges and acolytes, only the most dedicated trainers could hope to master Dragon Pokemon after all. She understood this more than most: her youngest brother had been driven insane by the roar of the Dragon Rage when he was young, the sheer power of the Pokemon sending her younger sibling into severe paranoid delusions. She and her brother had essentially sold themselves to the clan in return for his care. He was not the first human to be traumatized by the attack and she had no doubt he would be the last. Only the expertise and experience of the Blackthorn Clan and their care had returned him to some semblance of normalcy. He listened to his siblings and the clan but was still a danger to anyone else. Still it was better than she initially hoped for. Turning towards the door of their modest home, she heard her sibling approach.

"Temari, the Mistress has ordered you to attend an audience with her as soon as possible." Temari smiled at her brother, Kankuro was never going to be a Pokemon Trainer but his research into poisons meant he had a long career ahead of him in the field of Pokemon Medicine. His talent alone had convinced the Blackthorn Clan to adopt them. That thought only brought up bad memories, she was outright told she would be a kunoichi, a deadly assassin for the clan regardless of her own wishes. The ninja of Fuchsia may be more numerous than Blackthorn but they made up for it in sheer power and tenacity. She may only be 16 but her kills already more than doubled her age.

Tying her red sash over her traditional black robe, Temari grabbed her ceremonial fan, the only keepsake of her mother, a famed Kimono Girl of Ecruteak. Her mother had died giving birth to Gaara and her father had died in the same disaster that traumatized her brother at the Lake of Rage. She knew her father had something to do with the unnaturally numerous and vicious Gyrados but she never had a chance to question him on it. The thought of him being a member of Team Rocket a sin she would very much like to ignore. Shaking her head she focused on the task before her. Only painful discipline would follow insulting the Mistress. Approaching the personal residence of the Clan Mistress she entered and bowed before the second most powerful Dragon Trainer on the continent.

Sitting in her ceremonial throne in a formal blue dress with her legs crossed, Clair spoke, "Raise your head young Temari, today you become a full member of the clan, should you complete this take before you, I will also grant you freedom from your destined servitude."

Temari's head shot up at the news, she had long since come to accept the fate that her career would be the same until her death. To become a full member as a oppose to a vassal meant freedom for her and her siblings. Settling herself, Temari made sure to reply as formally and respectively as possible. "I am most grateful for the opportunity Mistress, what are the tasks you require me to complete? On the honor of my family I assure you I will accomplish this task at any cost." Temari was barely able to contain her anticipation for a mission she never dreamed of receiving. This truly was a chance of a lifetime.

Clair smiled on her young charge, tragic as her circumstances were Temari had the talent few would ever hope to match. Beautiful, strong and possessing a brilliant tactical mind, she was everything you wanted in a kunoichi. Her skill in Pokemon was untested but only herself and Lance had a stronger natural aura. Well Clair knew she would not be able to train her in the use of aura for the task at hand; she would make sure she received the necessary instruction, essential given her plan to catch the thief. Approaching her charge, Clair made sure to look her directly in the eye, conveying the seriousness of her orders,

"Today Temari a great evil has been committed in the sacred lands of the Dragons. Boxes of priceless Dragon Scales have been stolen for what reasons I can only guess are malicious. Whoever committed the grievous deed was either a member of the Clan and thus an insider or had compatriots who were. Given your position as a vassal and without a Pokemon, you are the only one I can trust with the task. Understand Temari that this mission may take months or even years to accomplish and will almost certainly require you to venture into the vast corners of the Johto region. Your mission is simple, find the thief and kill them. Retrieving the Dragon Scales are a priority but secondary to catching the criminal."

Temari sobered at the news; suddenly her potential miracle became all the more murky to accomplish. She was being ordered to hunt and kill thieves and traitors with the unspoken acknowledgement that she would have not aid beyond Clair's personal resources. The potential danger her siblings were now in was also not lost on the young woman.

"Come Temari, I will give you the materials you will need to accomplish your mission." Following close behind the older woman, Temari was left to stir on her future and came to one conclusion.

_Shit_

…

**Outskirts of Blackthorn City**

In a secluded field near the entrance to the Ice Path, Temari was greeted by her Mistress. Laid out before her were three pokeballs and a super rod along with an expensive looking and clearly important scroll. Any remaining doubts on the scope of her mission was put to rest, starter pokemon meant she would be expected to venture out on her own, a dangerous task for the city closest to Mount Silver. As soon as she chose a partner, there would be no turning back.

"Before you choose, I have some final instructions that you must understand. In this scroll lies an ancient and secret art only known to a handful of trainers on the continent, you and I are the only ones in the city who can currently use it. Inside this scroll is a Dragon Scale and the information contained will show you how to use it to track down the others. The super rod is for one purpose, in a small pond between here and New Bark Town lies the only other area in Johto Dratini can be caught. I cannot give you one raised by the clan without raising suspicion but I refuse to limit a strong ally. Finally within the pokeballs lie a Skarmory, a Gligar and Phanpy, choose wisely."

Temari took a moment to process what she had just been told, revealing a pond that contained such a rare pokemon was a testament to how serious this mission was, and any doubts of the sincerity of the Mistresses concerns were now extinguished. All that was left was to choose her partner.

_My preferred style of combat does not match up a Phanpy so he is out. Gligar is a rare and dangerous pokemon but far too susceptible to ice types which people will naturally use against a trainer from Blackthorn. Skarmory can fly, is able take a lot of punishment and could greatly aid me in battling alongside my Kunoichi skills, yep definitely the winner._

Grabbing the pokeball, she released in the pokemon, "I choose you Skarmory!" A metallic silver bird was released from the pokeball and immediately perched itself on the shoulder of its trainer. Nuzzling her neck the connection was almost instant. Temari could not help but giggle at the affection of the pokemon. Clair maintained a more professional demeanor but even she was surprised at how well the usually aggressive pokemon was taking to its trainer.

"Skarmor…Armor…Armor!" Temari understood the bird pokemon wished to convey his eagerness and gratitude, she knew starter pokemon generally formed close bonds with their trainers but she was amazed at how perfect they seemed to be with each other. Coughing into her hand, Clair brought Temari's attention back to the task at hand.

"I will take care of your brothers and no one will question a young trainer such as yourself leaving after receiving a starter. However understand that once you leave, I can offer no physical assistance and besides contacting me directly I can offer no information to help you. Here is a pack of clothing and a substantial cash reserve to see you through your journey, you will leave immediately."

Temari nodded, she doubted she could face her brothers with the severity of her mission anyway.

**Route 45**

Having changed into less formal set of attire, Temari was prepared to make her way to the pond Clair had revealed to her. A lavender blouse and white skirt with a matching white jacket gave the appearance of an unassuming young woman yet concealed her fan and most of her kunoichi gear. A traveler's bag contained the rest of her possessions. The only odd thing about her appearance was her wearing of four ponytails, a style her mother had worn and one Temari chose to emulate in her honor.

The initial route towards the lake was rough, the terrain and local Pokemon making progress difficult for even the most experienced of trainers. Only her years in service to the Blackthorn Clan had allowed her to navigate up and down the many sheer cliffs. Most who took this route were forced to take the long mountain road or fly, the small paths only known to locals and even then generally avoided unless absolutely necessary.

"Skar..Ska Skar" Skarmory had slowly but surely levelled up by preying on the many bug and tree dwelling pokemon along the route. Temari made damm sure to avoid the long grass, the strength of the pokemon regularly killed unprepared trainers and their pokemon along with them. Unlike other cities, Blackthorn forced its young trainers to face the realities of the world. Children were taught Pokemon only fainted in battle but in the wild it was often do or die. Humans for all their faults were generally more merciful than even the most pacifistic pokemon, though death was still factor between powerful trainers. Blackthorn was known to have almost exclusively Dragon Masters in no small part to the fact most trainers required the strength of the rare Pokemon just to survive past the first route outside civilization.

The sun began to set as Temari approached the unassuming pond. Feeling uneasy about attempting to catch her first pokemon in the fast approaching darkness, Temari decided to make camp. Skarmory quickly got to work collecting fire wood, its steel wings easily cutting through fallen tree trunks well Temari setup her tent. Once the fire stable, she opened the scroll with Skarmory's metal skin reflecting the light off from the fire and onto the page:

_Aura: ever present, ever powerful and ever dangerous. All pokemon and all humans are capable of wielding its power but seldom do they tap into it. Some species of Pokemon like the rare Lucario are born with the ability to use innately, well others, most commonly the psychic type can use an aspect as if it was second nature. It is said in legend that the various pokemon types evolved as older pokemon species interacted with the aura in the environment and that is why even today new pokemon species are encountered. Understand that Aura is the energy of life. With it one can communicate with pokemon, though not all types can converse in human language, project energy around them as physical constructs and finally sense natural objects from great distances. Use this knowledge carefully young trainer, aura can overwhelm and kill those found wanting. To awaken aura, touch the gem at the bottom of the page well covering it with one's blood, the ancient gem will forcefully awaken ones powers, though the actual affect will differ greatly from individual to individual._

Temari than noticed a page and a scale had been slipped into the scroll between the intro and the more detailed instructions.

_Temari as you are reading this you fill find a Dragon Scale attached. Perform the ritual set forth in the scroll and use your abilities to find locate the missing items. Temari you may never wield Aura in the physical realm, only Sabrina of Kanto has actually succeeded to any meaningful degree in the past few decades but I assure you the ability to sense and feel with aura is quite real. Good luck and may the blessing of Arceus be with you._

Pricking her finger with a hunting knife, Temari soaked the gem with blood. As she touched the gem, her mind reeled at the sensation, a thousand voices and a thousand feelings filled her mind, in the vast haze a picture of Goldenrod appeared. Temari know understood where she had to go.

Skarmory nestled itself with its trainer, a bond that would define them both had been created. The Steel pokemon knew from the moment it met its trainer she would be amazing but to actually be with an aura user was an occasion even pokemon dreamed of. Noticing Temari begin to sleep, Skarmory stayed by side and joined her in dreamland.

...

**The Next Morning**

Temari woke up with a new sense of purpose, her long dangerous journey suddenly more focused. She was skeptical of the scrolls power but she undoubtedly had received a vision of Goldenrod City. That of course meant a considerable journey along the south of Johto but she was likely going to do so anyway. Rousing Skarmory from his slumber, she cast the rod into the pond. Mentally she prepared herself for the difficult capture that was sure to follow. Feeling a tug on her line, she reeled in and prepared to strike.

"Karp…magikarp….karp", Temari sweat-dropped at the orange scaled fish she managed to reel in, mentally smacking herself for forgetting how common the damm fish was. Throwing a pokeball she was not at all surprised at the ease of the capture. Sighing Temari knew some serious training would be in order, she more the most realized how powerful a Gyrados could be and would have to make sure the small fish survived that long. Magikarp were considered useless for trainers exactly because most died long before they had evolved, a pattern that was almost identical in nature.

Calming herself she cast the reel again, more cynical over how long this would take. An hour passed and 8 more Magikarp had been reeled and dealt with. Just as she was about to give up, a powerful force jerked the line, Temari knew this was it.

"Skarmory prepare to grab the pokemon out of the water." Temari pulled as hard as she could and finally a blue serpentine pokemon appeared from the water. Without missing a beat Skarmory swooped in and slammed the pokemon onto the land. The Dratini was clearly thrown for a loop, and was wide open for an attack.

"Use swift, do not let it get away" Star shaped blasts of energy hit the dragon pokemon, Temari making sure to not let it get use to the surroundings. Skarmory began dive-bombing on the pokemon as it attempted to move with sharp pecks. Convinced it was weakened enough, Temari threw her pokeball. As the red energy encompassed the pokemon she nervously watched the pokeball rock back and forth until it finally settled.

"Yes, I caught a Dratini." Temari jumped in the air and immediately began hugging her Skarmory well quickly blushing at her behavior. Kunoichi were supposed to be serious warriors but the novelty of catching such a rare pokemon had revealed a childish side she had thought she had lost. Calming herself she packed up her things and began once again towards the bottom of the hills.

...

**Outskirt of New Bark Town/Route 29**

The gate station had been a welcome site for Temari. The building gave her a chance to rest and to regroup after the long trek down Route 45. She had taken to training in the grass south of the station and was rather happy with the information she had been told of the area. The local pokemon were quite aggressive but a noticeable step down from the caliber of the mountainside Pokemon. Pidgey, Rattata, Hoothoot and Sentret were simply not the same physical threats to a pokemon like Skarmory who basically suffered no damage at their physical attacks. Dratini having healed was slowly improving in battle, experience at this point making its training slower in compared to her starter. As for Magikarp…..she needed to find some water because he was pretty much useless at this point.

Approaching the gates of Cherrygrove City, Temari reminded herself of the dangers in front of her, this was not a quest to become a champion, this was a quest to catch and kill a thief.

...

**Goldenrod City**

In a lone building within the city a group of ten individuals sat around a large table, each member identified as a member only by a ring on each finger. Their leader remained cloaked in shadow.

A tall raven haired man addressed the group, "The theft was successful but it will be sometime before a suitable amount of Seadra can be prepared. We can confirm Clair discovered the crime but has yet to make any direct moves to investigate."

A bulky swordsman elaborated on the tale of his partner "The summer season is not conductive to catching Horsea, they tend to mate during the warmest months. In all likelihood we will not have sufficient numbers until the spawning in the fall. We merely had an opening we could not ignore. "

The leader of the group nodded and though her body was shrouded, her distinctly feminine voice revealed her gender. "Make sure to keep yourself from being detected in Blackthorn. We are not yet strong enough to go to war directly with one of the five clans. Everyone else, you have your orders, dismissed.

Once she was sure they all had left except her partner, the woman removed her cloak. Without the cloak, the body of a stunning woman in a blue tank top and skin tight leather pants was revealed. Placing her origami flower in her long blue hair she addressed her partner.

"Soon all are preparations will be complete, the arrogance and death of the five clans will finally be made to pay for their crimes. The clans: Blackthorn, Ecruteak, Azalea, Fuchsia and Celadon have ruled and sinned in the shadows for too long. I dreamed of peace but the Konan that your cousin loved died with him, now I live only to avenge him."

A crimson haired woman only smiled at her leader's proclamation. Her clan, the Uzumaki had been whipped out from their enclave in the Whirl Islands by the joint power of Ecruteak and Azalea, their growing power as trainers too large a threat to be ignored. The great five had been unable to prevent the rise of the Gym System and its masters as talented individuals always found a way to succeed but had continued to make sure lesser clans were firmly kept in place. Konan had been a young student of Blackthorn when she fell in love with Nagato, the subsequent death of her lover and her friend in the massacre had changed her. Without her Kushina knew her wish for revenge would have failed, Konan's knowledge of the great clans meant all was in their reach. With her son safe in the care of Professer Elm, she had nothing to fear but the battles ahead.

**AN:** I just could not get the idea out of my head. Temari always struck me as the most deadly of the main young kunoichi in Naruto and it is why I chose her for the role. The Ninja Master will be my primary story until it is completed but I will return to this periodically until my other story is done.


End file.
